Introducing the Medics’ Musical 2017
This April talented MBChB students are staging a medical twist on a Carroll children’s classic. We are proud to introduce ‘Alice in FY1derland’.
The Medic's Musical is an original production put on every spring by penultimate year MBChB students. It's been running for many years and has become a cemented tradition in the life of Edinburgh Medical students.
Pardon the pun
Traditionally every musical has an inventive and comical title, usually involving a pun of some kind. Previous titles have included ‘Fanney Wonka and the Doctor Factory’ (combining Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with a well-known member of staff), ‘Slumdoc Millionaire’ and ‘Bedside Story’.
The 2017 production ‘Alice in FY1derland’ is with reference to FY1, the first year as a junior doctor after graduating from medical school. The audience are invited to follow Alice down the rabbit hole of medical school life and finals.
A long time in the making
Producing and staging of the annual musical is no mean feat and for the past ten months students have been proposing ideas, writing scenes and finding songs. Rehearsals began last October and the dedicated team have been coming together every weekend to prepare for the opening night on April 5th.
The musical aims to be as inclusive as possible and there really is something for every student to get involved with. With a cast of twenty, a chorus of sixty plus a large team including producers, designers, musicians and stage crew; a significant proportion of the year group are involved.
It has the ability to bring together the year group like never before, and succeeds every year in making a wonderful show and many new friendships.
Meet the cast
To give you an idea of what to expect from this year’s musical we have chatted to a few of the cast and production team.
In this year's musical, I have the absolute pleasure of playing the White Matter Queen. She is FY1derland's overthrown ruler, a neurologist by trade and an advocate of patient- centred practice. Thwarted by the Queen of Hearts, the publication- focused and cold-hearted cardiologist, the White Matter Queen needs the help of Alice (a final year medical student) to take back FY1derland
It's a privilege to have been cast the role of Alice in this year's Medics Musical. An under-confident final year medical student, Alice ventures through FY1derland unsure of how she will ever pass finals to become a doctor. But with the influence of many characters - both supportive and obstructive - she learns a lot about herself, her peers and the world of medicine
More than medicine
With almost half of the year group getting involved in the musical in some shape or form, many students view the experience as a positive extra-curricular addition to their studies.
Among benefits highlighted by the 2017 cast and crew were the opportunity to showcase talent and creativity outwith academia, the chance to try something new and to employ a different skill set to that used in their average week studying medicine.
It’s so important to have extra-curricular activities like these, especially ones that happen year-on-year, because sometimes it feels like medicine is the only thing in your life. Everyone has their own way of dealing with the demands of the course, but this is one where you have something tangible to show at the end of it. It’s nice to get to know your fellow students in a different way as well, rather than just from bedside teaching and tutorials. Everyone presents themselves differently outside the hospital and it really makes for a great team spirit to see the other side of people
Alice in FY1derland is on stage from 5th to 8th April in George Square Lecture Theatre. All welcome.